Social Change and the Global Middle East

Social Change and the Global Middle East

Annual Theme 2022

The Middle East is a region whose recent history has been marked by rapid, often unexpected bouts of change. The last decade in particular has seen the region experience a series of seismic events set into motion by the Arab Spring and escalating regional rivalries. These events, including the largest refugee crisis since World War II and the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, have blurred the lines between regions and borders. The impacts have been worldwide, as global powers have grappled with the legacies of their involvement in the Middle East. At the same time, these events have pushed social issues to the forefront, encouraging dialogue, expression, and the rethinking of established norms. In its 2021-2022 theme year, Social Change and the Global Middle East, The Andrea Mitchell Center examines the region through multiple lenses and perspectives in order to shed new light on a part of the world that remains as relevant, and as complicated, as ever.
 

Theorizing Political Violence

Forum (Room 250), Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics
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A panel discussion with Banu Bargu (UC Santa Cruz) Murad Idris (University of Virginia) moderated by Roxanne Euben (University of Pennsylvania). Learn more about "Social Change and the Global Middle East," a full year of programming

Governance

Forum (Room 250), Ronald O. Perelman Center for Political Science and Economics
In-Person Event
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A panel discussion with Lisa Anderson (Columbia University) and Noura Erakat (Rutgers University) moderated by Hosine Fetni (University of Pennsylvania). Read recent articles by Noura Erakat on Israel and Palestine here and here. Read an excerpt of an upcoming article by Lisa…

Regional and External Politics

Online Event

 

A panel discussion with Fawaz Gerges (London School of Economics and Political Science) and Tim Mitchell (Columbia University) moderated by Nada Matta (Drexel University) and Eileen Ryan (Temple University). The history of the Middle East and north Africa has long been shaped by…

Religion and Political Transformation

Online Event

A panel discussion with Tarek Masoud (Harvard Kennedy School) and Zakia Salime (Rutgers University) moderated by Sa'ed Atshan (Emory University). The rise of Islamization has had enormous impacts on the political and social landscapes of Egypt, Morocco, and the broader Middle…

Citizenship

Online Event

Read an essay by Sima Shakhsari and excerpts from her book, The Politics of Rightful Killing. A panel discussion with Sinan Antoon (NYU Gallatin) and Sima Shakhsari (University of Minnesota) moderated by Zainab Saleh (Haverford College). Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries…

Social Change and Contentious Politics

Online Event
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Read Joel Beinin's essay: Pasts and Futures of Contentious Arab Politics Read Rashid Khalidi's essay: What Inhibits Social and Political Transformation in the Middle East? A panel discussion with Joel Beinin (Stanford) and Rashid Khalidi (Columbia University) moderated by Sean…

An Evening with Tawakkol Karman

Perry World House, World Forum, 3803 Locust Walk

A lecture and discussion with Yemeni journalist and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Tawakkol Karman. The Mitchell Center and Middle East Center's year-long examination of the possibilities and challenges facing the Middle East begins with a conversation with Tawakkol Karman…

"Social Change and the Global Middle East" Planning Committee

The members of the “Social Change and the Global Middle East” planning committee are John H. Ghazvinian, Chair (Middle East Center), Sa'ed Atshan (Anthropology, Emory University), Ibrahim Bakri (Penn Middle East Center), Roxanne L. Euben (Penn Political Science), Huda Fakhreddine (Penn Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations), Hocine Fetni (Penn Sociology), Jeffrey Green (Andrea Mitchell Center and Penn Political Science), Nada Matta (Sociology, Drexel University), Matthew Roth (Andrea Mitchell Center), Eileen Ryan (History, Temple University), Zainab Saleh (Anthropology, Haverford College), and Sean Yom (Political Science, Temple University).